Then the Jets will hit the road for games in the Motor City and Windy City, respectively. The Jets should be improved against the run this season after making multiple changes up front and signing LB Demario Davis in free agency, but Lions RB Jamyr Gibbs will be a stern test. The Jets have assembled quite a bit of speed on offense with WRs Garrett Wilson and, Adonai Mitchell, RB Breece Hall and rookie blazer TE Kenyon Sadiq.
The Bears led the NFL with 33 takeaways last season and 23 INTs. But the Jets signed CB Nahshon Wright from the Bears in free agency. His 8 total takeaways were the most of any player in the league last season.
HC Ben Johnson, who led the Bears back to prominence last season, and Glenn, who will take over defensive play-calling duties for the Jets, served as coordinators under Dan Campbell in Detroit.
Division Dance
The Jets get AFC East play underway at New England on Oct. 18, and will host Miami on Oct. 25. The Green & White will meet Buffalo on Nov. 15 at MetLife Stadium and then close out the season series with the Dolphins in South Florida on Nov. 29. They will clash with the Patriots at home on Dec. 27 and then finish against Buffalo yet again on Jan. 10 — this time at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY. Jan. 10 is the latest the Jets have ever ended a regular-season schedule and it is also marks a finish at Buffalo for the fourth time in the last eight seasons.
Stretch to Watch
On paper, the Jets have a favorable stretch from Weeks 5 to 8 with home contests against the Browns (Oct. 11), Dolphins (Oct. 25) and Raiders (Nov. 1). All three of those clubs have new head coaches – in Cleveland Todd Moken, Miami Jeff Hafley and Las Vegas Klint Kubiak — and they each went 2-6 on the road last season. While the Browns will have a competition between DeShaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders at QB1, Malik Willis takes the ball for the Dolphins and it’s possible Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza will be in the saddle for the Silver & Black. While those teams are in transition, the Jets will tussle with Drake Maye and the defending division and conference champion in New England on Oct. 18.
